Vehicle door latch



Feb. 6, 1940. v H, we RlGHTMYER 2,189,405

VEHICLE DOOR LATCH Filed Oct. 19, 1937 givin/Wto@ Patented Feb. 6, 1940 UNITED STAT VEHICLE DOOR; LATCH Holden W. Rightmyer, Toledo, Ohio, assgnor to The American Swiss Company, Toledo, .0hio, y

a corporation of Ohio Application October 19, 1937, `Serial No. 169,845

1 Claim.

This invention relates to door latches but more particularly to a vehicle door latch adapted for automobiles and similar vehicles, and an object is to produce a new and improved door latch having the novel features of construction, ar-

rangement and operation hereinafter described.

An embodiment of the invention is shown by 'way of illustration on the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a door latch, a portion of the remote control mechanism being broken away and also a portion of the key operated locking mechanism for the roll back also being broken away;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a side edge view of the latch shown on Figure 1.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a door latch having a case plate I0 provided at one edge with an upwardly exten-ding flange II which is apertured to receive the bolt nose I2 slidable therein to and from latching position. The bolt nose I2 is secured by rivets I3 to a bolt plate I4, a portion I5 of which is embossed outwardly for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. The bolt plate I4 near its rearward end is formed with a horizontally elongate slot IB to receive a rivet or stud Il carried by the case plate Ill. The stud I'I assists in guiding the bolt plate I4 to and from latching position.

Secured in place by the stud I'I and disposed on the outer side of the bolt plate I4 is an L- shaped bumper plate I8, opposite side edge portions l9 of which are crimped inwardly against a block 20 of rubber or similar material. Integral with the bolt plate I4 and projecting rear- Wardly slightly beyond the case plate I0 is an extension 2| having an upwardly extending ange 22 which is adapted to abut against the bumper 20 when the bolt moves to latching position.

The latch bolt is yieldingly urged to latching position by a spiral spring 23, one end of which is disposed between lugs 24 disposed on a lower portion of an arm 25. The opposite end of the spring 23 engages an ear 26 struck out of the bolt plate I4. The arm 25 is pivotally connected at one end by a stud 21 to the case plate I0 and is disposed between the embossed portion I5 of the bolt plate and the case plate I0. Upon retraction of the latch bolt the arm 25 swings about its pivot so that the spring bodily moves with the latch bolt. The spring is so mounted and arranged that a substantially uniform pressure is exerted against the latch bolt urging it to latching position, this being substantially in accordance with the spring mounting shown and described in Patent No. 2,095,902.

To facilitate the swinging movement of the arm 25, nubs 28 are formed in the underside of the lower end portion of the arm and bear against the plate Ill, thus reducing the frictional engagement between the arm and the case plate. Extending outwardly from the lower portion of the arm 25 at the rear end thereof is a lip 29 which abuts against a lip 30 integral with the bolt plate I4. Extending from the forward portion of the n lower end of the arm 25 is an integral upwardly inclined arm 3I which is adapted to be engaged by a roll back 32. The roll back 32 is suitably held in position by a cover plate 33 and has a rectangular opening 34 to receive the usual outside operated handle shaft (not shown). It will be seen that turning movement of the roll back 32 operates to retract the latch bolt against the force of the spring 23 through the extension arm 3l, spring carrying arm 25 and lips 29 and 30.

For retracting the latch bolt from the inside of the car, a link or strap 35, the rear end of which is connected to a suitable remote control handle mechanism (not shown) has at its forward end lost motion relative to the bolt plate I4 enabling forward movement of the strap 35 in a non-bolt retracting direction when the bolt is in its projected or latching position. Movable by the strap 35 during such non-bolt retracting movement is a clogging slide 31 which has an eX- tension 38 disposed above the end portion of the strap 35, the latter having secured thereto a pin 39 which depends therefrom into an elongate slot 40 in the bolt plate I4 and is operatively connected at its opposite end to the strap 35.

The slide 31 has an elongate slot 4I through which a stud 42 extends, the latter being secured to the case plate Ill. When the slide 3l is moved forwardly or to the left of Figure 1, it is adapted to be disposed beneath an arm 43 integral with the roll back 32 thereby to block retracting movement of the roll back and prevent retraction of the latch bolt from the outside of the door. A coil spring 44 carried by the case plate I0 engages the arm 43 for holding the roll back in the desired position and preventing rattling of the y parts.

dogging slide extension 38 and disposed in the slot 40, the same being engageable by the forward end of the slot 40 foi` moving the slide 31 and the strap 35 away from dogging position upon retraction of the latch bolt when the door is slammed. The slide 3l is also moved away from clogging position upon movement of the strap 35 in a bolt retracting direction but prior to retraction of the bolt.

It is to be understood that numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In a vehicle door latch having a latch bolt,

and inside and outside retractors for said latch bolt, a plate pivotally mounted at one end on an axis at right angles to the plane of movement of the bolt, a spiral spring having one end anchored to the opposite end of said plate and the opposite end of said spring engaging said bolt for urging the same toward latching position, said outside retractor including a roll back, an extension on one edge of said plate engageable by said roll back, and abutment surfaces on the opposite edge of said plate and said latch bolt respectively whereby upon actuation of said roll back said plate is rocked to cause retraction of said latch HLDEN W. RIGHTMYER.

y bolt. 

